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16 December 2011

A Few Breastfeeding Rules I've Broken {Breastfeeding Blog Hop}

One of the tiny regrets I have with the birth of my daughter is that I did not begin nursing her as quickly as I wanted [I started about 1-1 1/2 hours after she was born]. Yes, she was laid on my chest immediately after birth, but was quickly whisked away so they could do an APGAR and bathe her.

After I ate my dinner tray, the nurse gave me my daughter. I positioned my daughter in the cross-cradle, and she latched on beautifully and stayed there for a few moments. The nurse said, "Now, I want to show you different holds. This is how you do the football hold and this is the cradle hold, which you may find more comfortable." I was thinking, "Really?? This was going so well until you tried to intervene for what you think is better. It's not." The different holds she was showing me were seemed unnatural. When she left, I quickly moved my daughter to the position that was most comfortable for me and was working for her-the cross-cradle hold. This helped show me that there is not one correct position to breastfeed. This was my first step in breaking some breastfeeding rules that were placed on by an outside source.

Many say [myself included until I had a baby], "Don't give your baby a pacifier until breastfeeding is well established." I DEFINITELY broke this rule, about five days after she was born. I nursed her on demand [and despise Babywise books], but there were times that she would cry right after I finished nursing, so I'd try to put her back on, but she didn't want it. She wanted to be soothed. I quickly decided to put a pacifier in her mouth and hold her. For some a pacifier this soon may wreak havoc on breastfeeding, but for others it would be fine.

Now, people are astonished when they find out my almost 16 month old is still nursing, usually 2-4 times/day. Before Thanksgiving, it was usually just twice a day-morning and evening, but during the holidays, she wanted to be nursed more. I think it's because she was not used to the environment we were in; she and I were away for about 10-12 days, out of our surroundings, and she needed more comfort. Thankfully our pediatrician is supportive of breastfeeding. He is not telling us to stop, but others say, "Isn't she a little old to be breastfeeding?" No, she's not. I'm not forcing it on her. She clearly shows me she wants it by pulling on my shirt, putting her hands down on my breasts, etc. I try to use the milk sign for her, but she hasn't used it herself yet. Many people falsely believe that you must start weaning my their first birthday. No, I don't, and I'm not going to. If Charis does not want to be weaned, I'm not going to force the issue, especially since she's still getting the many benefits of breastfeeding.

This post was written as part of the blog hop, hosted by Life with Levi,

2 comments:

WHO says breastfeeding for 2 years or as long as mother and child are mutually enjoying the experience. Interpret that the way you want. We did 19 months with my son and 22 months with my daughter. My daughter took a pacifier in the hospital as I could not nurse her 24/7 - we did not suffer a single nursing issue. I don't like to say that some of these things are rules as much as suggestions. We need to do what we can to promote breastfeeding and encourage success but we also cannot suffer raw cracked nipples because the baby is using the breast as it's personal soother. I think there is a balance that can be found between the two. Thanks for sharing and glad you guys are still enjoying nursing.

I know; I'm glad that is the World Health Organization's stance on breastfeeding. I point that out SEVERAL times to people. The sad thing is that it's mainly my coworkers who say negative things about me still breastfeeding my daughter. I want to say, "Hello, you're a nurse. Aren't you supposed to know that breastfeeding is a good thing?"

I am a Christian and a wife to an amazing husband, a mum to a 2nd grader, a 3 year old son, and an unborn son. I am homeschool SAHM. I write about knitting, breastfeeding, reading, cooking, baking, crafting, cloth diapering, and babywearing.